Ministry Thailand: Coffee Shop
It’s not too good to be true!
Our team and team Furia Santa had the privilege of residing above a beautiful coffee shop for the month of November. Owned by an incredible servant of God; Emmi, who has an extraordinary story and big dreams for the city of Chiang Mai.
Let me tell you how God is fulling his will for the city of Chiang Mai through Emmi and Light House ministries.
Lighthouse ministries contains 3 parts, Wongen, Love Acts and X-life. In this blog I am going to talk about Wongen. Over the past year Wongen Kafe as truly prospered with a lot of hard work and little to no sleep for Emmi. She said “I slept for only a few hours each night for the first two years.” Wongen meaning “One generation” has sprung into action bringing countless people from all over Thailand and all over the world under one roof. Wongen staff and Emmi’s target is the university students to help shape Chiang Mai’s future. Chiang Mai University is directly across from the Kafe with 45,000 plus students and another close technical university down the street with 10,000. Buddhism is the main religion in Thailand and many of these students will soon be making decisions on their own. We want the beginning of these decisions for the country of Thailand to be based on the Word of God.
Bringing awareness of this is great place to hang out, grab food and practice english with friendly and joyful people is a constant mission for Wongen. The Kafe has a full menu with delicious Thai and western food, smoothies, ice cream, hot and cold coffees, cheesecake, brownies and homemade cookies for dessert. Wongen has hosted many YWAM teams and other World Racers like myself. The kafe is greatly involved in music locally and internationally with bands, open mic nights, creativity, promoting any good music to bring people together. Wongen has became quite the music venue.
While our World Race teams were here we hosted a couple of game nights on Wednesdays and an open mic night every Friday. As part of our ministry, our teams would go to the two nearest universities and pass out flyers for these events. Talking to people about Wongen and being friendly representatives for God and Emmi, hoping to bring her more people in the present and future to lead people to Jesus!
It was also a pleasure of actually working at Wongen. We would work in 4 hour shifts welcoming and serving those who came into the coffee shop with a smile, taking and delivering orders, and opening and closing the shop. Being apart of the fun, light hearted atmosphere was a delightful experience in Thailand.
Emmi is a strong woman who gets incredible strength from the Lord. When we are tired and weak that is when God’s strength is there to help us keep going. It was like we were never tired! Her will to work hard, she gets from her Dad. She not only works hard for Christ but at every relationship she comes in contact with, she values. She loves serving her community because it is God’s will to bring his Kingdom to a dark place
where people are lost in many ways.
Update on Lighthouse Ministries!
While we were here at Wongen there was word of Emmi getting a new 6 story building to open up another coffee shop, a place where the girls in The Red Light District (Bars) her Love Acts ministry we they make jewelry to sell and a site to find safety and comfort. This place took off in a matter of hours. Our team was going over everything that happened in the month, what we loved, what we thought could be improved and the Emmi’s phone suddenly rang. The contractor of the buidling wanted to come in one hour and talk with Emmi about the buidling. We said a prayer asking God’s will will be in done in this. An hour later the man came and left. Emmi got the building! She doesn’t have the money but he said he would hold the building until she does! She has to have about $34,000 USD to start setting up. There is even more needed to pay off the building and maintain it.
God gave her this building so easily and will provide for the opening of something so good where people can find refuge in Jesus. The light is making it’s way through Chiang Mai more and more! If you would like to donate to Emmi’s ministry or read more about what she is doing in Chiang Mai visit: http://www.lighthouseinaction.org/about-us/ Click on “Get Involved” and then “donate.” God is fullfilling his kingdom through Emmi and being able to see it first hand is so beautiful, please help her as she brings God and his son to Chiang Mai!
